Some media outlets and political pundits declared even before the votes were counted that the recall of San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin demonstrated a national backlash against progressive politicians and policy. Not so fast, you over-paid, over-educated, under-intelligent, otherwise-unemployables of the corporate Press Corpse:
This post really should be shopped to major media (cleaned up, unfortunately). TC presents facts and framing (to borrow James Fallows’ term), that are not otherwise readily available.
Also, the Boudin recall demonstrates a serious weakness in ranked choice voting. The weakness is that we can’t do ranked choice voting unless the recall threshold is significantly greater than it is today. Recall electioneering is becoming a standard part of the GOP/corporate playbook, and can just as easily be picked up by the left as well. Ranked choice voting means a minority candidate is being elected if they do not get elected in the first round. Thus, any recall that goes to a vote is nearly guaranteed to succeed. This undermines the main rationale behind ranked choice, that is, to reduce partisan incentives by creating space for compromise candidates who most people can live with even if they don’t support that candidate. The second rationale is to avoid the public expense of a second run off election, which would be an alternative means to find compromise candidates. A recall of a minority candidate breaks the compromise inherent in the original election and puts the public to the expense of an additional round of balloting.
There are many ways to conform the recall process to rank choice voting. A higher petition threshold. A vote requirement significantly greater than a majority (wouldn’t have helped Boudin, however). A requirement that opponents be permitted to stand for election on the same ballot with the incumbent to again be decided by ranked choice voting (thus allowing for a compromise candidate who might just be the incumbent). This last might be the most effective means to tamp down the rush to recall. And it’s a significant departure from the recall system applicable in California for Governor where the recall is decided as a yes or no vote and then a successor is chosen on the same ballot in which the incumbent is not allowed to be selected.
Amazing how you manage to dig in to everything so thoroughly TC. I hardly manage to read it all, since I'm already convinced of what you want to tell me. For all the sadness; good hopes!
I'm a little late today because I got caught up in the hearing. But, halfway through reading this very informative and detailed account of what REALLY happened in CA, I was struck by this:
"(Trust me, I am writing this about Boudin despite the fact I knew his parents “back in the day” when they became urban terrorists, and I am of the opinion they should never get out of the slammer.)"
I'm not "up" on Boudin - who he is, who his parents are and why they are in the slammer. Will you ever update us on this, or is it just me?
So, the right wing Movement Conservatives are blaming homelessness on “rising rents (they were high when I lived there 50 years ago - now they are literally the highest in the nation), the proliferation of low-wage jobs, and the lack of mental health services?” These are caused by the Movement Conservative policies of slashing taxes and regulations on the rich/corporations so they can take advantage of their workers, suck up our nation’s resources. This coupled with ending the many social services and programs started by Roosevelt’s New Deal, Eisenhower’s Middle Way and LBJ’s Great Society polices.
Man, the Reagan Revolution screwed us.
Time we start another political revolution to get us to where the government works for us common folk.
Well organized… I did not know all this history. I love how the billionaires are going to save us.
This post really should be shopped to major media (cleaned up, unfortunately). TC presents facts and framing (to borrow James Fallows’ term), that are not otherwise readily available.
Also, the Boudin recall demonstrates a serious weakness in ranked choice voting. The weakness is that we can’t do ranked choice voting unless the recall threshold is significantly greater than it is today. Recall electioneering is becoming a standard part of the GOP/corporate playbook, and can just as easily be picked up by the left as well. Ranked choice voting means a minority candidate is being elected if they do not get elected in the first round. Thus, any recall that goes to a vote is nearly guaranteed to succeed. This undermines the main rationale behind ranked choice, that is, to reduce partisan incentives by creating space for compromise candidates who most people can live with even if they don’t support that candidate. The second rationale is to avoid the public expense of a second run off election, which would be an alternative means to find compromise candidates. A recall of a minority candidate breaks the compromise inherent in the original election and puts the public to the expense of an additional round of balloting.
There are many ways to conform the recall process to rank choice voting. A higher petition threshold. A vote requirement significantly greater than a majority (wouldn’t have helped Boudin, however). A requirement that opponents be permitted to stand for election on the same ballot with the incumbent to again be decided by ranked choice voting (thus allowing for a compromise candidate who might just be the incumbent). This last might be the most effective means to tamp down the rush to recall. And it’s a significant departure from the recall system applicable in California for Governor where the recall is decided as a yes or no vote and then a successor is chosen on the same ballot in which the incumbent is not allowed to be selected.
Amazing how you manage to dig in to everything so thoroughly TC. I hardly manage to read it all, since I'm already convinced of what you want to tell me. For all the sadness; good hopes!
I'm a little late today because I got caught up in the hearing. But, halfway through reading this very informative and detailed account of what REALLY happened in CA, I was struck by this:
"(Trust me, I am writing this about Boudin despite the fact I knew his parents “back in the day” when they became urban terrorists, and I am of the opinion they should never get out of the slammer.)"
I'm not "up" on Boudin - who he is, who his parents are and why they are in the slammer. Will you ever update us on this, or is it just me?
TC, you are one of the few substack writer I support. I would support more if I could afford it.
So, the right wing Movement Conservatives are blaming homelessness on “rising rents (they were high when I lived there 50 years ago - now they are literally the highest in the nation), the proliferation of low-wage jobs, and the lack of mental health services?” These are caused by the Movement Conservative policies of slashing taxes and regulations on the rich/corporations so they can take advantage of their workers, suck up our nation’s resources. This coupled with ending the many social services and programs started by Roosevelt’s New Deal, Eisenhower’s Middle Way and LBJ’s Great Society polices.
Man, the Reagan Revolution screwed us.
Time we start another political revolution to get us to where the government works for us common folk.
Eat the rich.